It's a Dog's Life
by The-blackfirewolf
Summary: One-shot series revolving around my Guardian series. These won't make sense unless you've read Guardian and Assailant first. Prompts are encouraged!
1. ALTERNATE ENDING TO ASSAILANT

**A/N: Long time no see people! As promised, here's the one-shot series for Guardian and Assailant; these won't make sense unless you've read those. I actually wrote out the first part to this right after finishing Assailant, but decided not to publish it for some reason (I think I thought it was too OOC). Today I looked it back over, added the other two parts, and decided " _fuck it I'm publishing this shit_." **

**THIS IS INSPIRED BECAUSE I HAD A REAL STRUGGLE WITH MYSELF AT THE END OF ASSAILANT OVER WHETHER TO KILL OFF ASHLEY OR NOT, AND IN THE END I DECIDED TO DO IT BECAUSE ANGST. BUT NOBODY COMMENTED! ! I WAS HEARTBROKEN KILLING OFF MY OWN BRIEF CHARACTER BUT NOBODY CARED! FUCK! ! !**

 **Anyways...**

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 **Warnings: mentions of blood, vomit, and gore.**

 **Disclaimer: Still don't own Criminal Minds.**

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 **ALTERNATE ENDING TO ASSAILANT**

When Reid first woke up, he knew he was no longer a dog and that he'd changed back to his human form. He knew, because even if his nose was clogged up, his sense of smell was less than a canine's, and he could only hear the faintest murmurs of bed sheets rustling instead of the usual audio buffet he was used to. He blinked his eyes open, relived that the lights were dimmed, and took stock of himself. Aching shoulder, throbbing ribcage, head heavy with sleep and drugs. The sharp tang of medicine and sterile tiles, which had to mean he was in a hospital. He wiggled his fingers, noting the thin sheets covering his form. Yep, definitely a hospital.

Reid turned his head and was surprised to see that there was another bed next to his. He leaned over and caught a glimpse of Ashley's pale face, her hair spread out like a spider's web over her pillow. For a terrible moment, Reid thought she was dead, but then he saw her chest rise and fall, and he relaxed in relief. Memories trickled back to him, sharp and jarring with their images; mazes of blood, the cutting smell of wet grass, pressure on his fangs, a wink of _yes_.

He shook his head – not unlike a dog when it was wet – to try and banish the vivid slashes of memory. Ashley snorted, and when he looked back over he saw her eyes were open and she was smirking at his actions.

"Hey, agent Reid, looks like we made it, hah?" she managed to croak out.

Reid cleared his throat and nodded, not trusting his dry mouth to be able to speak.

"They found Josh," she continued happily, "he's fine, just recovering. They said he should be out of here tomorrow. You and me though, we have to wait at least a week before they let us loose." She paused, still smiling. "Thank you, thank you so much. For getting us out of there."

"No problem," Reid coughed out, tongue thick and his mind trying to wrap itself around her words.

"Oh boy, you sound _rough_ , man. Need some water?"

Reid waved a hand at her, not wanting her to move ( _he remembered a blade buried in her back, the scent of her blood like rotten strawberries and spoiled cream_ ). His entire mouth had an awful taste in it, like he'd been gnawing on undercooked meat. After a short, confused moment he realized the taste was from the leftover pieces of the unsub's skin rotting between his teeth, from where he'd attacked him and...

He saw Ashley's relaxed, smug manner slide away into concern, with the slightest tinge of fear, as he felt his face pale and the world sway sickeningly. "Agent Reid?" she asked, just as he lurched forward, pulling the attachable food tray on his bed out so he puked on that instead of his lap. Everything felt grey and too tight, and he breathed through his nose, unable to bear the thought of his teeth or his tongue or his cheeks or anything to do with his _mouth_ …

Then someone was gently talking to him, lifting his head away and laying him back down on his pillow, carefully moving the tray and wiping it of his vomit. He lazily peered over and caught sight of Ashley leaning over the rails of her bed, asking the person if he was ok. The nurse murmured something back, and Reid closed his eyes, waiting until the nurse left, leaving a large bowl on the stand next to him in case he got sick again.

He cracked his eyes back open, and saw that Ashley was still watching him. "H-how long have I been here?" he rasped tiredly.

She looked reassured to see him communicating, and said, "You've been unconscious for about two days. Your team was here, and Josh and Scott too, but they all left 'cause it's past midnight right now. They'll be back in the morning, probably."

Reid nodded thankfully, trying to hold back tears at the thought of having to wait till morning for his team, who would understand and help him brush his teeth of the taste of death.

"Here," said Ashley, and suddenly something plopped down on his bed between his legs. Confused, he shot her a look and scrabbled downwards, searching for the object. A small container, with blue-green liquid and the smell of artificial mint, and his tired mind managed to identify it as mouthwash. Even more baffled, he looked over at Ashely, whose head was down, her hands nervously twisting her bed sheets.

"I remember," she admitted. "I was mostly in shock, but I saw you leap over me and I heard you fighting him… him screaming, you howling. And I briefly remember you coming back, licking my face…" She pulled a face at the memory, obviously trying to lighten the mood. " _Gross_ , but it made me open my eyes, and you had… blood all over you, _everywhere_."

Reid's vision swooped again, his stomach clenching at the thought of what he'd done. He, Doctor Spencer Reid, mild-mannered genius, a _murderer_ , and she _knew_.

"Hey, hey, agent Reid! _Hey_!" Ashley's voice cut through his panic and revulsion, drawing his eyes to her face. "Hey, look, I understand, ok?" She smiled at him, expression sad and reassuring. "If you hadn't done it, he would have killed us. Hell, he almost did! We're alive because of you."

Obviously her words hadn't comforted him as much as she'd wanted, because her smile dropped, and she said with dead-seriousness, "The world is better without him. I would have done the same thing, if it had been me."

Reid blinked, her words finally registering, and actually helping, to his surprise.

"But anyway," she said, looking uncomfortable with the emotional aspect of their conversation. She motioned to the mouthwash he was still holding and clarified, "I swiped that; thought you could use it."

Reid looked down at the mouthwash and twisted the cap off with a bit of difficulty, gulping in a huge mouthful. It burned the insides of his mouth and made his teeth tingle, but it tasted sweetly of mint and a dentist's office, erasing the unsub's blood away. With a sigh, Reid spat the mouthful out into the bowl next to him, then instantly took another swallow of the stuff to doubly clean his maw, smiling at the girl across from him as he did so.

"Thank you," he said, when his mouth was empty and his lips were refreshingly sanitary.

"No problem," she replied, grinning again. "Now go to sleep, your team will be here in the morning."

Slumping back, Reid did as she said, letting his eyes drift shut and letting his body relax properly for the first time in months. He could hear her wiggle under her covers, presumably to sleep as well, and he felt himself smile. Everything was going to be fine.

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The second time Reid woke up he could see the faint hint of sunlight streaming through the drawn curtains of the window next to his bed. Propped up in an uncomfortable looking plastic chair was Morgan, legs crossed and reading a magazine in disinterest. When he heard Reid sit up, though, he looked up and grinned.

"Hey Pretty Boy," he greeted, handing him a cup of water before Reid could ask for it. He took it gratefully and washed out his mouth, which while a bit fuzzy and dry, no longer tasted like blood or raw meat.

"The team?" he asked, glancing over to check on Ashley. The girl was fast asleep, and next to her bed was a young man in a wheelchair, also passed out. His hand was clutching hers, and Reid smiled when he noticed the similarities of their faces; that had to be Josh.

Morgan followed his gaze and smiled as well. "They're fine; both them and the team. So is Scott, by the way. He wanted to come talk to you, if you're up to it."

"Yes, I want to see him," Reid admitted. He wanted visual confirmation that the young boy was safe and unharmed.

"You know," Morgan began, and Reid recognized instantly by his friend's sober expression and eye contact that he was in for a serious discussion, "you didn't have to do that. Matthews showed up and helped us with the case and he told us about your new… ability."

Reid ducked his head and fiddled with his fingers. They hurt, a bit, and he absentmindedly thought of frantic paws tearing across blood-soaked cement, the rough, uneven material nipping at soft pads.

"Reid, you didn't have to hide it; we could have _helped_ you. How long has this been going on?"

"Just before I went back to work again," Reid mumbled.

Morgan let out a sigh. "Aw, Reid. Why didn't you tell us? We could have done something!"

"You don't think I'm… a freak because of it?" Reid asked, looking up again. Morgan's eyes were earnest, and seemed startled at such a suggestion. Then he laughed, a sad chuckle that Reid couldn't respond to.

"Listen man. I'm going to be frank with you; sometimes I miss Guardian. That doesn't make sense, I know, since Guardian _is_ you, but sometimes I'll look over to the passenger side and have a moment of panic because there's no dog drooling on my seats."

"I don't drool!" Reid objected, and Morgan laughed quietly again.

"You don't need to worry Reid. We're still here for you, no matter what form you're in."

Tears formed in Reid's eyes and he quickly brushed them away, turning back to look at Ashley and her brother so Morgan wouldn't see. "Thanks Morgan," he murmured, feeling a sense of relief overwhelm him. In a way, he almost felt foolish. Why had he ever thought that his team would turn against him?

"Anytime kid," Morgan replied cheerfully, giving him a friendly clap on the shoulder that made Reid wince a bit. He waved off Morgan's apologetic expression and twisted his lips into a grin. "Wake me up when Scott gets here." With that, he turned back over and drifted off into sleep.

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Gentle paws kneading on his stomach. Tiny vibrations from happy purrs. If Reid didn't know any better, he'd say he was back home and Oscar was sleeping on his chest. But the crisp hospital smell and aching body parts reminded Reid that he was a long way from home. He scrunched his eyes open, observing the gentle fading of light behind the curtains, concluding that it must be twilight. He blinked, and looked down at the weight on his chest.

It was a small orange kitten, with grey eyes that were intelligent and happy. "Hello, Scott."

The kitten let out a tiny meow, startled that Reid was now awake. Just then, a woman Reid identified as Mrs. Locke walked into the room, instantly frowning at the scene in front of her.

"Scott!" she scolded lightly, darting over to lift the kitten off of Reid. "What have I told you about changing in public? And crawling all over Doctor Reid!" She made a clicking noise with her tongue. "Not only is that rude, but you need to be a bit considerate, dear; the poor man is a bit battered right now, and doesn't need a cat bouncing all over his chest!"

"Mrs. Locke, it's alright," Reid assured, sitting up carefully, but still managing to agitate his shoulder. He made sure his pain didn't show on his face, but he did raise a hand to lay it on the bulge of bandages swaddling his side.

"Scott, go to the bathroom and change back," Mrs. Locke commanded, leaning down to pick up the discarded clothes left at the foot of Reid's hospital bed. "Then you can come back and visit with Doctor Reid and Miss Ashley, ok?"

The kitten let out an agreeing meow and wiggled to be let down, which she did. The woman swept her kitten-son into the small bathroom across from Ashley's bed, and came over to sit down tiredly on a chair between the two patients. Reid finally noticed that Ashley was also awake and alert, grinning in amusement.

"I'm sorry about that," Mrs. Locke apologized. "These last few days have been so incredibly stressful; why, I've probably gained ten pounds with all the chocolate and comfort food!"

Reid bit his tongue to hold back statistics and calorie estimates, and just chuckled along with the two woman.

"How's Scott doing?" Ashley asked, and the mother sighed.

"As well as can be suspected, I suppose. He's been sleeping in our bed for the past few nights, but at least he hasn't been changing any more than usual, and so far he's only had one nightmare. Not to mention that dog of his sticks to his side like glue!"

Reid allowed himself a private smile. He was glad Ginger had been reunited with her master.

"But we think he'll be ok; we'll get him a therapist, and we'll talk him through it, and he'll be alright."

Ashley nodded and smiled reassured. "He's a smart young man; I'm sure you have nothing to worry about."

"Thank you, my dear. And that reminds me…" The woman placed a gentle hand on Reid's and squeezed, waiting for him to look up with wide eyes before continuing. "I wanted to thank you," she said seriously. "For protecting my son. For making sure he got home to us. I can't imagine…" Tears filled her eyes and she tightened her grip ever so slightly. "I wish I could make it up to you."

"You don't have to make anything up to me; I was just doing my job," Reid said seriously.

The mother sniffed and rubbed her tears away with one fist, still clutching Reid's hand like her life depended on it. She then turned and smiled at Ashley, extending her other hand wordlessly. Ashley stared at it for a moment then slowly reached out to clasp it. "Thank you too," Mrs. Locke told her, "for also protecting my son."

Ashley swallowed thickly and just nodded. Reid could feel the weight in the room; the relief, the gratitude, the hopefulness. It filled his chest, till he felt like he might burst from the brimming emotions dancing in the air.

Then Scott charged into the room, his shirt slightly crooked from where he'd tried to button it himself, but otherwise dressed. "Doctor Reid, Miss Ashley!" he cried, and squirmed up onto the foot of Reid's bed with his mother's help. "I wanted to say thank you," he said, as seriously and sincerely as a young child can muster.

"You're very welcome, Scott," Ashley beamed cheerfully.

"Hey, Scott? If you ever need someone to talk to about… the changing stuff, you can call me, ok? It's gonna be difficult being the only two… the only ones that can…"

"Become animals?" Ashley snickered. "Oh man, that's still so _weird_."

"You're special," Mrs. Locke said firmly. "You both have a special secret."

Scott's eyes lit up and he said excitedly, "Like superheroes!"

"Pretty Boy is already a superhero with that big ol' brain of his." Reid groaned as Morgan walked in, grinning mischievously, followed by the rest of his team and Mr. Locke. Garcia instantly let out a squeal and buried Reid in a hug, although he didn't miss Ashley's raised eyebrows and how she mouthed out, _Pretty Boy?_

Reid just shook his head hopelessly at her.

It was nice to see his team though, and even better to have the extra confirmation that his "secret" was safe and supported. The last of his doubts were washed away with their smiles and quiet laughter. The group stayed together for a while, the happy parents snuggling their chattering son, Ashley leaning up and bantering with Emily and Morgan, Reid being almost spoon-feed by Garcia as Rossi smirked in the background, while Hotch pointedly ignored Reid's desperate stares in favour of mutedly discussing some matters with Mr. Locke. Eventually, however, a nurse shooed the visitors out, squawking about overcrowding and being past visiting hours – although not before Reid had pressed a slip of paper with his phone-number into Scott's tiny hands and received a hug around the neck from the little boy.

The silence of the room afterwards was a bit lonely, but Reid was grateful to pull his sheets up and get some more rest, and besides, he knew his team would be back in the morning. Hopefully with coffee.

He fell asleep thinking fondly of his family and listening to the quiet breathing of Ashley sleeping across from him.

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 **A/N: I've already got some other prompts for this series so I'll work on those eventually but if anyone else has other suggestions I'm open to it.**

 **Also thanks to my irl friend _TheChiaroscuro_ for being so supportive of this lmao. Don't you just love the crappy title of this crappy series bro? LOL please review!**


	2. Two's Company

**A/N: Here's a suggestion given to me from _Krisdahwolf0_ , a loyal follower of this series! I actually wanted to do a scene with Reid hanging out with Clooney (I forgot how much I liked writing him), so your suggestion really stuck with me! Although, this isn't really what I was going for and I apologize in advance for it sucking lol. Anyways, read on! **

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**Warnings: None, except OOC-ness and my sickening attempts at humor.**

 **Disclaimer: I only own the concept for this series, not the characters.**

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 **Two's company**

When Reid looked up at the medium-sized, urban home set in a quiet neighbourhood, he realized he'd only ever seen it through grey-muted eyes. Maybe it was a bit odd that he'd never visited Morgan's house before (except when he'd been Guardian), but then, the team had always been a bit separate off-hours. The last year or so, however, they had all grown even closer, and Reid thought it was about time that Morgan invited them all over for a barbeque.

He knocked on the door just as another car pulled up in the street behind him, letting out a quick honk of greeting. He turned to wave, and grinned as Emily stepped out carrying two bags overladen with snack food. Reid was just about to go and help her when the door behind him flew open, revealing Morgan's grinning face.

"Pretty Boy! You made it!"

Reid rubbed a hand along his neck and laughed awkwardly. "Yep, wouldn't miss it for the world."

Emily huffed up next to him and mock-glared at the pair of them. "Some gentlemen you are! Making a lady carry all this on her own!" Another huff, and she tossed her hair over her shoulder.

Morgan just laughed and grabbed one of her bags. "Welcome to my humble abode! Make yourself at home. Although, Reid, you must know your way around, right?"

"Yeah." Reid was actually amazed that everything looked remarkably similar to when he'd lived here as Guardian. In fact, the living room even still had two dog beds; one for Clooney, one for Guardian.

Out of the sliding glass window, on the wood patio, Reid could see Garcia lounging on the edge of the deck, her feet dangling into the fresh grass. That brought back bittersweet memories; summer air, tennis balls, and the sharp edge of recovering grief that reminded him of mint. Next to Garcia was an amused looking Rossi (but then, he always looked a bit amused), swirling a glass of red wine and chatting to the animated tech-woman. Standing by Morgan's slick barbeque was Hotch who was wearing a "kiss the cook" apron – much to Reid's disbelief – and of course, there was JJ, laying back in a chair and sipping her drink while calling out suggestions to the sweaty Hotch.

It looked perfect; like family and home.

"Look who decided to show up late!" Morgan announced, opening up the door and leading Reid and Emily out onto the patio.

Emily smacked his arm. "We're _not_ late! You said five o'clock."

Morgan made a show of looking down at his wrist. "Ahh hmmmm, yep, yep; oh, look! It's five o'two! _Late_."

Reid rolled his eyes and made his way to sit next to Garcia, who beamed in excitement. "Did you bring Oscar?" The woman, since being introduced to Reid's young cat, was always eager to smother him with love.

Reid laughed. "No, he was sleeping in a sunbeam and refused to wake up."

Garcia pouted but quickly recovered her smile. "Isn't it a lovely day? Oh gosh, just feel that breeze, mmmm!"

Rossi gave a throaty chuckle and passed Reid a soda, leaving the woman to tilt her head back with her eyes closed to bask in the warmth of the summer day. Soon he had roped Garcia into another conversation, and Reid was contented to simply nod along and offer brief inputs to the discussion, letting the sound of the grill sizzling and the rest of his team chatting wash over him, the taste of his Coke fizzy and sweet and cool on his tongue. Soon the smell of hamburgers and hot-dogs became persistent, and everyone was happy when Hotch – beads of sweat on his forehead from standing so close to the grill – announced that dinner was ready.

Reid was just reclaiming his perch on the edge of the deck when a heavy breathing tickled the back of his neck. He turned and was suddenly eye-to-eye with Clooney, panting and staring at Reid with dark, intelligent eyes. Reid couldn't believe it; somehow he'd completely forgotten about Clooney, who he hadn't seen since he'd changed back into a human.

 _Hey brother_ , the dog panted, _nice to see you recovered._

"How did you know it was me?" Reid asked, surprised.

Clooney's tongue lolled in amusement. _Don't tell me you've already forgotten the complexities of scent! Believe me, my friend, I know the scent of the one I shared my home with for almost a year. The human and canine have not separated from you._

"That would make sense," Reid admitted sheepishly, thinking about his ability to still become a dog if he wanted to.

 _Ah, heard through the grapevine that you were struggling to stop your shifts to canine._ Clooney cocked his head ever so slightly. _But you have it controlled now._

Reid didn't question how Clooney knew about his shape-shifting or struggles with controlling the ability; some things just couldn't be grasped by his human mind. "Yes, that's true."

 _I'm proud of you, brother. Although I'm questioning why exactly you smell of cat._

Reid threw back his head and laughed. "Oscar is a good cat! Don't go rubbing your discrimination off on me!"

Clooney snorted and wagged his tail to show forgiveness, and Reid scratched the German Shepard's head, knowing the spot right behind the ears that made him squirm with glee.

"Um, Reid..?"

Reid blinked and looked up, and was a bit anxious to find his whole team staring at him in bemusement. "Yes?" he asked, nervously.

"Who you talking to?" Garcia blurted out, and Reid once again blinked in confusion.

"Clooney," he said, waving his hand at the dog so they'd instantly get it.

Morgan snorted. "Yeah we got that kid, but… why?"

Reid shrugged, lost with where his team was going with this. "To have a polite conversation..?"

Clooney let out a huff. _And here I thought you were talking to me because of my exceedingly good looks!_

"You wish," Reid fired back automatically. Then it clicked. "I never told the team that I could talk to you, did I?"

"You can _what_?" Morgan said, shock colouring his voice and face.

"Yeah, I can still talk to animals, even in human form..?"

Instantly chaos broke out. Garcia was squealing something about a "Doctor Doolittle" to Emily and JJ, Hotch and Rossi were attempting to talk over each other, and Morgan was gawking at him in amazement. Finally, after almost a full minute of nobody making any sense, Clooney let out a loud, sharp bark that brought their attention back to a frantically waving Reid.

"Hey, hey, it's not that big of a deal!" Reid cried.

"Reid, you can talk to animals!" Garcia squeaked. "That's amazing!"

"When were you going to tell us this?" Morgan demanded. "That's not something you should keep from us!"

Reid shrugged awkwardly. "I just kinda… forgot." Before everyone could erupt into questions again, he launched into an explanation; about how he'd first discovered the ability, about Clooney, about Ginger in San Francisco and the weird translations of animal language carved onto their victim by Jeremy Gurner, and even the fact that Matthews had somehow managed to convert All-speak into human tongue. Throughout most of Reid's explanation, the team gaped in silence, and Clooney would occasionally offer an input. Soon, Reid trailed off and he was faced with a silent team.

" _Wow_ ," Emily offered. " _Wow_."

"I know, it all sounds crazy," Reid confessed, and suddenly everyone was laughing.

"You think?" Morgan teased, then ruffled Clooney's ears, his eyes lit up in excitement. "You can tell me what my Clooney's thinking about, then?"

Clooney winked at Reid, and he slyly grinned back. _Time to settle an old promise…_ "Yeah. He wants some new food every once in a while – the same stuff all the time gets kind of bland. You need to change chew-toys and tennis balls every three months, _at least_ , otherwise they get soggy and gross. And… stop having such loud sex without letting him out into the yard first, ok?"

Emily spat out her drink and began howling with laughter as Morgan stuttered and turned red with realization, and Garcia had to lean on Hotch for support at Reid's coy smile. Clooney winked at him, and Reid winked back, pleased with his team's contagious laughter. Finally sinking down to sit back on the edge of the deck, Reid sighed and hummed as he lifted his still warm hamburger in his fingers, the perfectly grilled meat seeping juices.

 _So, brother, how about sharing some of that hamburger?_

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 **A/N: I haven't reread Guardian or Assailant for a while so if there's any inconsistencies I apologize. Anyways, hope you enjoyed this enough to review and tell me your thoughts or ideas!**


	3. Oscar

**A/N: Just a small little thing I typed up in like, one hour. Not very good but I like Oscar so whatever.**

 **Missing scene from chapter 19 of Guardian.**

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 **Warnings: None, just my bad writing.**

 **Disclaimer: Nope.**

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 **Oscar**

Guardian tried to shake off the rain miserably, only succeeding in splattering his face with damp tufts of fur. He blinked, the streetlights blurring with the motion, and he groaned to himself. Running off away from Morgan, to aid a sadistic criminal mastermind, to hopefully change him, a dog, back into a human – not his smartest move, for sure. But then, it'd been fairly simple to begin with. Matthews had given him straight-forward directions to his house, which even Garcia's genius hadn't been able to uncover – from there, it'd been easy to get in through the unlocked window, sniff out his bedroom, and retrieve the formula from the top dresser drawer, safely stored between some socks and papers. Getting out through the window had been a bit challenging, considering he'd taken the uttermost importance with handing the glass test-tube, but he'd managed.

He shook out his fur again, hurling himself off the ground and picking up the container carefully between his teeth. The glass texture made his tongue tingle, but he tried to ignore that, sniffing hopefully in the air for his own scent trail. Of course, he'd memorized all the maps of the city ages ago, but being on two legs, in the rain, and with an enormous amount of pressure on his shoulders was making his brain a bit sluggish.

He'd tried approaching some other animals for help, but, well… One dog, clearly a street mutt, had bared his teeth and just snarled at him, warning him and his strange human-animal scent away. Another, this time on a leash with a disgruntled owner, had been pulled away before Guardian could hope to ask for directions – and considering the animal's skittish gaze flickering over their shoulder as they and their master hurried away, he doubted they'd have helped him anyway. Any other animals scattered before he could get close, and most seemed to be sheltering from the rain anyways.

Guardian poked his head out of the alley he'd taken shelter in for a moment, squinting at the sidewalks thinned of humans. It was still early and with the terrible weather the foot-traffic had decreased. Trying to pick up a landmark, he made off again.

Slowly, the more urban building dwindled into warehouses and industrial roads, which Guardian took as a positive sign. He must be growing close to where Matthew wanted him to go! On the downside, his knowledge of the edge of the city was markedly less than the inner city, and he was more lost than ever. At this rate, Morgan was going to shoot Matthews before Guardian found his destination.

He slumped beneath an overhang from a billboard, resting his aching, soaked paws and trying to ignore the growling in his stomach and the stress knotted in his chest. This was about as low as he could get, he thought. Just another of the stupid, miserable, homeless mutts roaming the city limits. Such a thought brought a whimper to his throat, and he dropped the formula before his chattering teeth could crack the glass.

 _Isn't there anyone in this city that can help me?_ he muttered bitterly.

He pricked his ears at a fragile crinkle, and his head darted up. Hovering on the billboard ledge just above his head was a tiny black and white kitten, breath steaming in the chilly air. _You ok?_ it meowed down hesitantly.

Guardian instantly leapt to his feet. _No, I'm not. I'm lost, and I have very important business to attend. Please_ , he pleaded, _do you know where I can find the abandoned metal factory, on Westward Street?_

The kitten didn't respond, the scent of fear wafting from it as it peered down at the Border Collie that looked like a dog, but smelled like a human. Guardian felt desperation rise in his chest.

 _Please_ , he tried again, _I won't hurt you. I just want to get home_.

That seemed to do the trick. With a flick of their tail, the kitten leapt down next to Guardian. Up this close, he suddenly realized how large his dog form was to the kitten, and was struck with how brave the little thing was as it lifted its tail and led the way down the street.

 _Are you a stray?_ asked the kitten curiously. _You don't smell like a stray. Then again, you smell weird to begin with, even for a dog!_

 _Ha ha,_ Guardian grunted out, focused more on clutching the glass container than talking to the small scrap of fur leading him who-knew-where. The kitten lapsed into silence, and after a bit, when it felt like Guardian's paws were going to fall right off, they stopped in front of an old warehouse.

 _Here it is! Why'd ya need to come here?_

 _Just… wait here_ , said Guardian, but the kitten followed as he entered the darkened remains of the factory. The floor was littered with debris and shattered glass, but he carefully maneuvered around it, only stalling when he found a stack of old burlap sacks. That would be good enough to hold the cure; someplace safe. The kitten watched with bright eyes as he tucked the container safely in the fabrics, burrowing the odd shifting light of the liquid within. It was slightly unsettling to look at – even more so to think that it would soon be in his body, if all went according to plan.

The kitten didn't speak as they exited the old warehouse. _Thank you_ , Guardian said, relieved, _thank you, ummm, I didn't get your name..?_

 _I… don't have a name, but you're welcome._

Guardian blinked. _Well, I'm Guardian. And truly, you have no idea how much you've helped me_.

Now that his job was completed, Guardian was truly aware of how lost he'd been and how much the kitten had risked to help him. Teaming up with a strange, much more powerful canine? Very brave.

In response, the kitten rose up and rubbed against the dog's chest, purring all the while even with their own soaked fur and no-doubt sore paws. Guardian rumbled appreciatively, glad to find that the kitten was at least still warm after their little journey. _I'll make it up to you, promise_.

The kitten made a little sound of amusement. _Just bring back some food whenever!_

Guardian agreed, feeling a pang at seeing such a small, venerable animal left without a home. Heck, they didn't even have a name! He was reminded of a cold basement, staring through the bars of a cage, the current hollowness of his belly, loneliness…

As soon as this mess was all over, Guardian vowed to come back, find the kit, and get them a proper home. That would be a good, for both of them.

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 **A/N: Have I mentioned I like Oscar? Yeah, I do.**

 **Also, if anyone missed it, I've posted a third sequel to the Guardian series. Yay for me.** **Anyways, please review.**


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